UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

[Chuck Murray]

Leadership is key

Leadership is key

Over the last two seasons, the captains seemed to have set the tone and helped to define the character of the teams. Both teams developed a pattern of working hard on most shifts and not letting down when falling behind in a game - especially in the NCAA tournament. This was particularly true this season. For each of the last two years, there were two captains:

08-09: Greg Collins & Joe Charlebois
09-10: Bobby Butler & Peter LeBlanc

During the 07-08 and 06-07 seasons, there was only one captain; Matt Fornataro and Josh Ciocco, respectively. My recollection is that these teams had untimely lapses in effort - again, especially in the NCAA playoffs.

I wonder whether a two captain model works better than one captain with one or more assistants.

The "two captain model" definitely works better if one doesn't effectively get himself kicked off the team at midseason. I'm sure Coach Umile would like to have had a mulligan on the Charlebois selection. But stuff happens.

There is no set answer to this question. All depends on the team, and the players involved. I have a lot of time for kids like Butler, Collins, Fornataro and Ciocco ... but truth be told, the last really strong captain UNH has had was Patrick Foley. I gave Coach Umile tons of credit back then for having the guts and belief in Foley to factor him into a formal leadership role for 3 years - something you see VERY rarely, but something that clearly worked for that player and those teams. It would have been nice to see Butler get at least an "A" for his junior season. He certainly proved himself worthy.

Getting your leadership choices right is one of the biggest decisions the coach of ANY team can make. And any coach/program that just follows a boilerplate approach (i.e. we will pick two seniors, one "C" and one "A" every season, or something similar) is really missing the boat big-time. JMHO.

 

[WildShawn]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

The home ice thing is important because kids can sleep in their own beds, have set routines, etc. It's a comfort zone. Road games mean bus rides (or plane rides), hotels, strange locker rooms, etc. That is where home ice advantage is important.

a "rabid home crowd" is more for the fans feeling they are a part of the outcome, not something opposing players even give a crap about.

Survey Says:

 

[Slasher7]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

Survey Says:

Nice way to describe your 1999, 2002, and 2003 seasons. LOL.

 

[Darius]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

I'd have guessed Thompson over DeSimone, but that's just from watching them play. I think Sislo and Camp are great choices.

I was thinking PT as well, but only the coaches, players and those very close to the team know the dynamics that make a player the best choice to wear the C. One thing I like is the possibility of the team's most productive player, PT or maybe DeSimone, not being the captain.

 

[Darius]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

The home ice thing is important because kids can sleep in their own beds, have set routines, etc. It's a comfort zone. Road games mean bus rides (or plane rides), hotels, strange locker rooms, etc. That is where home ice advantage is important.

Agreed. The flip side that leads to some teams being great on the road is the elimination of distractions allowing complete focus on the task at hand.

 

[WildShawn]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

Nice way to describe the 'class' of BC fans LOL, OMG, ROTLFLFLKJGLKJBVAL

I agree, stay classy, and keep up the tradition of winning with class. I almost, ALMOST feel sorry for you losers, not happy enough being fans of the best team and coach in college hockey, but its not surprising that fans of dBC are more happy crapping on fans of everyone else than celebrating their victory. Congrats!

 

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

I agree, stay classy, and keep up the tradition of winning with class. I almost, ALMOST feel sorry for you losers, not happy enough being fans of the best team and coach in college hockey, but its not surprising that fans of dBC are more happy crapping on fans of everyone else than celebrating their victory. Congrats!

So the guy has an opinion, you post a picture being a DBAG because you disagree, and he's the jerk. Ok, gotcha. Nice hillbilly logic there.

 

[WildShawn]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

So the guy has an opinion, you post a picture being a DBAG because you disagree, and he's the jerk. Ok, gotcha. Nice hillbilly logic there.

No, the guy comes in to a UNH thread to dump on UNH fans, that's being a DBAG, no?

 

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

You're both being dbags. At least this Brown fan (wth?) had an opinion and argued his point. Rather than disagreeing and stating why you posted a picture and acted like a dink and then the BC fan starts and responds to your post and you start whining about how classless BC fans are. Sounds like you were just asking for it... but that's just me.

I personally hope we can get back to more important discussions like who is going to ring the cowbell next year, whether or not students care, and why Clark-Hislop-Cocks doesn't like to apologize.

 

[WildShawn]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

You're both being dbags. At least this Brown fan (wth?) had an opinion and argued his point. Rather than disagreeing and stating why you posted a picture and acted like a dink and then the BC fan starts and responds to your post and you start whining about how classless BC fans are. Sounds like you were just asking for it... but that's just me.

I personally hope we can get back to more important discussions like who is going to ring the cowbell next year, whether or not students care, and why Clark-Hislop-Cocks doesn't like to apologize.

Glad you're checking in on the UNH threads and care so much about how things are going up in Durham.

Not that I have to justify it to you, a BC fan in a UNH thread, but I did disagree, and posted responses earlier in the thread why I disagreed with him, and he kept posting the same thing over and over and even said 'if you ask me', which no one did.

Dink? Really? You're at least entertaining (most of the time), Slasher is just a DB in most of his posts.

The difference b/w BC fand and UNH fans (in a broad generalization); most UNH fans I've seen have, in some way or another, congratulated BC fans on their well deserved and impressive championship, while many BC fans continue to show their true colors.

 

[Jacques "Rabbit" Poriveau]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

No, the guy comes in to a UNH thread to dump on UNH fans, that's being a DBAG, no?

When you cant win wif da logique go wit da "waaa dis d'UNHs tred waaaa". Ow dis tred own by d'UNHs mon ami? It da publique massaging bord, non? Not yoo onw private circle jurking, eh?

 

[WildShawn]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

When you cant win wif da logique go wit da "waaa dis d'UNHs tred waaaa". Ow dis tred own by d'UNHs mon ami? It da publique massaging bord, non? Not yoo onw private circle jurking, eh?

If someone wants to translate this for me, I'd appreciate it.

 

[jcarter7669]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

You're at least entertaining (most of the time), Slasher is just a DB in most of his posts.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[Jacques "Rabbit" Poriveau]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

Bof team benefit from d'electique atmosphere, non juste one. Da visiteur ave even more feeling to jam it down everyone troat. (If you tink some fat Momma boy wit a UNHs shirt behin da glasse is scaring a D1 ockey playeur...sacre bleu you is more de hurters dan I tinked.)

Now da refs, some a dem do get catched up wit da crowde et call zee game dat way.

Et dey travel is huge. Evure heard of bus legs? It real. One team sit on a bus pour 5 hour will de udder taking de naps et playing wiffle ball, it zee difference mes amies

but hey, if you want to tink some social misfit shutins - wif signs - is scaring Kevin Shattenkirk into coffing up da pucke, den OK mais juste let us no what color da skye is in you worlds too ok friends?

 

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

You're at least entertaining (most of the time),

I appreciate that. If someone just keeps repeating the same thing, maybe it will come true. I know a lot of people here believe that!!!! After a while, you have to agree to disagree and ignore comes from them on the topic after that.

The difference b/w BC fand and UNH fans (in a broad generalization); most UNH fans I've seen have, in some way or another, congratulated BC fans on their well deserved and impressive championship, while many BC fans continue to show their true colors.

Ya know... not to be mean, but... I guess UNH will have to win a championship to see if BC fans congratulate you guys, huh? I don't read this stuff as often as some people, but I don't see a lot of BC people just running around yelling "nana nana na na BC won you guys suck" without a reason. Maybe some people bring this upon themselves (see jcarter)?

I've come to like UNH over the years (at least they don't cheat and their coach is not a drunk), so I'm always rooting for you guys lately. Good exciting hockey, no clutch and grab crap, classy coach, etc. If UNH wins one in my lifetime I'll be congratulating you folks.

 

[Jacques "Rabbit" Poriveau]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

If someone wants to translate this for me, I'd appreciate it.

It say you an idiote. Betteur?

 

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

Now da refs, some a dem do get catched up wit da crowde et call zee game dat way.

A lot of great points. This one in particular is worth noting.

Luckily, not many teams have to travel very far in this league so the "bus legs" becomes less of an issue than it would out in other leagues where teams are more spread apart. I don't know if teams travel up a day early to Vermont/Maine (and vice versa for those 2 teams) to avoid the issue, but I would think they do at least some of the time.

The focus on the ice is incredible once you get into a game. Even if the crowd is deafening, it's not going to affect someone that much on the ice at this level.

 

[Slasher7]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

I agree, stay classy, and keep up the tradition of winning with class. I almost, ALMOST feel sorry for you losers, not happy enough being fans of the best team and coach in college hockey, but its not surprising that fans of dBC are more happy crapping on fans of everyone else than celebrating their victory. Congrats!

John Mason: "Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and f-*** the prom queen"

'Nuff said. Congrats on your regular season crown. Quite an achievement.

 

[Slasher7]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

The difference b/w BC fand and UNH fans (in a broad generalization); most UNH fans I've seen have, in some way or another, congratulated BC fans on their well deserved and impressive championship, while many BC fans continue to show their true colors.

Therein lies the problem. UNH has never given BC fans an opportunity to congratulate you guys. It's like the old "if you won $1mm dollars in the lottery, what would you do?" scenario. Purely hypothetical.

I suppose if UNH won a banner I'd congratulate them and their fans. Realistically, we may never know.

 

[thecomicbookguy]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2010 off-season thread

Personally, I'm glad the BC fans come in here. I mean, I tend to forget things like that - has UNH ever won a national championship? Who won this year? Two years ago? It's easy to forget, so it's nice to have the trolls pop by and chime in to remind us that UNH has never won, and when BC has won. Slasher's post even noted the years that UNH was closest recently. That's a true humanitarian, right there.